Russia-Ukraine updates: US sanctions Russian military shipbuilder, diamond miner

Russia's largest military shipbuilding and diamond mining firms were targeted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation” into Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with troops crossing the border from Belarus and Russia. Moscow's forces have since been met with “stiff resistance” from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.

Russian forces retreated last week from the Kyiv suburbs, leaving behind a trail of destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, U.S. and European officials accused Russian troops of committing war crimes.

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Two Men at War
Two Men at War
A look at the two leaders at the center of the war in Ukraine and how they both rose to power, the difference in their leadership and what led to this moment in history.
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UN General Assembly passes resolution which names Russia as an aggressor

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday voted to pass a resolution titled "Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine," which explicitly names Russia as an aggressor party.

The resolution demands that Russia withdraw its military forces outside the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.

It also condemns violations of humanitarian law and human rights abuses and seeks protections for civilians.

The resolution passed with 140 countries voting in favor, five voting against and 38 abstaining. The countries voting against the resolution were: Russia, Belarus, Syria, Eritrea and North Korea.

-ABC News' Zoha Qamar


Zelenskkyy calls for 'full embargo on trade with Russia' in address to G-7

In an address to the Group of 7 nations Thursday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a "full embargo on trade with Russia" and harsher restrictions on Russia's economy.

"Russian banks and, most importantly, the Central Bank of Russia, must get a complete blockade from the global financial system. War criminals should be left without money at all! And their frozen assets should turn, inter alia, into reparations for the reconstruction of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also warned of the risk Russia poses to Europe.

"It is better to give Ukraine the kind of weaponry support we really need now than to look for weapons for other countries later. We mean Georgia, Moldova, the Baltic States, Poland and Central Asia," he said.

-ABC News' Fidel Pavlenko


NATO to establish 4 more battlegroups near Ukraine border

NATO said on Thursday it will be establishing multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia in addition to the four NATO battlegroups already in place.

"In light of the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades, we will also significantly strengthen our longer term deterrence and defense posture and will further develop the full range of ready forces and capabilities necessary to maintain credible deterrence and defense," NATO heads of state and government said in a statement.

They called on President Vladimir Putin to "immediately" stop the war and for Belarus to end its complicity.

NATO also warned Putin against the use of chemical weapons.

"Any use by Russia of a chemical or biological weapon would be unacceptable and result in severe consequences," NATO leaders said.

They also strongly condemned Russia’s devastating attacks on civilians and said they are deeply concerned about the increased risk of sexual violence and human trafficking.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou


Lavrov's stepdaughter among those targeted by latest UK sanctions on Russia

The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on another 33 people and 26 legal entities from Russia on Thursday.

Various Russian banks, including Gazprombank and Alfa-Bank, and Russian paramilitary organization the Wagner Group, were targeted, as well as Polina Kovaleva, the stepdaughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kovaleva reportedly owns a house in London. The assets of these persons and legal entities will be frozen under the sanctions, according to a document published by the U.K. Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

The document noted that this latest wave of sanctions were meant to target "key strategic industries and individuals," as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second month.


All Russian troops have left Kyiv and Chernihiv: US official

All Russian troops have left the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv, withdrawing north toward the borders of Belarus and Russia to consolidate before likely redeploying to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Wednesday.

But even with the Russians gone, the territory remains treacherous.

"There are some indications that they left behind mines and things like that, so the Ukrainians are being somewhat careful in some areas north of Kyiv as they begin to clear the ground and clear the territory and re-occupy it," the official said.

While the U.S. hasn't yet seen these troops redeploy elsewhere in Ukraine, it'll likely happen soon, according to the official. Ukrainian forces are preparing for a major fight in Donbas, the official said.

The official also said the Pentagon is "monitoring" an apparent nitric acid explosion in Ukraine's Luhansk region, which Russia blamed on Ukraine.

"We've seen the Russians claim that this was a Ukrainian attack on this. We do not believe that is true," the official said. "We do believe that the Russians are responsible, but exactly what they used when they did it, why they did it, what the damage is, we just don't have that level of detail," the official said.

The official also noted that a small number of Ukrainians currently in the U.S. for "professional military education" were pulled aside for a couple days of training on Switchblade drones, which the U.S. is sending overseas as part of its military aid, according to the official.

"Although it's not a very difficult system to operate, we took advantage of having them in the country to give them some rudimentary training on that," the official said.

-ABC News' Matt Seyler